Not much has to be said about the Pittsburgh Penguins. They came with some big time scorers, even though two of their more important players were injured and not playing, in Crosby and Letang. Malkin, Neal, Dupuis, and Staal are just a few of the big names on this team, and Marc-Andre Fleury in net is always tough. This was going to be a VERY tough one for the Hawks, playing a team that is very similar.
The first period started off in the Hawks favor early, but a dirty hit turned the tide in the Pens favor. From that moment on, it was all Pens for a period and half. They scored one in the first, and two in the second to go into the third period up 3-0. The Hawks finally showed signs of life, dominating the third, but it was too little, too late and they eventually fell 3-2. Makes you wonder what they could have done had they even played 2 worthwhile periods.
- Big Slow finally found a way to get on my good side, coming to the aid of Dream Warrior, after Deryk Engelland left his feet AND went for the head of Krugs. Big Slow grabbed Engelland and beat the absolute piss out of him. How Engelland got nothing for the hit to the head, but Scott got 2+5+10 for instigating, is a flat out bunch of horseshit. Complete home cookin, and the complete opposite of what the NHL claims to be targeting. If he was knocked out, would it have been a penalty? Krugs didn't play after the first period, so we have THAT injury to now deal with.
- It wasn't pretty, but El Capitan was finally able to put the Hawks on the board early in the third period. He drove hard to the net and tried to feed Vik across the crease, but the pass went off the Pens defender and into the net. They needed a bounce, and this was it.
- Vik, Hoss, and Kaner zig-zagged their way through the Pens zone and Vik finished the play to put the Hawks within one goal, with 13:30 left in the game. This was the last of the Hawks scoring, but it was a pretty one.
- Kunitz took advantage of the napping Leddy and Hammer, on the powerplay following Scott's fight. Kunitz weaved right through the two of them along the Hawks blue line, took a pass from Malkin, and went in on Razor. 1-0 Pens.
- Neal put the Pens up 2-0 on an oddman rush that was a result of a Deuce turnover deep in the Pens zone. After he turned it over Deuce then fell down, and teh Pens were off to the races. Seabs was left to defend a 2-on-1 of Kunitz and Neal. You can imagine how that ended, with the red hot Neal bearing down. Razor didn't stand a chance, and the Hawks were getting dominated.
- Halfway through the game, Quenneville had seen enough of a few of the opening combinations. Montador was moved to play with Hammer for a while, and Leddy was given the leash to Big Slow. Morin was swapped from first to the fourth line with Stalberg, which became a huge move. Some of this had to do with Kruger's injury and some didn't. They basically rolled 9 forwards for the third period, with Morin, Bickell, and obviously Kruger all playing under 10 mins. On D they rolled 5 because of Big Slow's 17 PIM's. I have to honestly say that I'd rather eat the 17 mins with him at forward. It's palatable, but rolling 4 1/2 D-men on Sunday, and 5 last night just doesn't work.
- FUCK! Bryan Bickell can annoy the HELL out of a fan. He had a clear chance to cleanly blaze through Malkin, and slowed down to hugged him. Then, when Malkin skates past him, Bickell lazy ass high sticks him. What the fuck, really, WHAT THE FUCK, Bickell? FUCKING HIT SOMEONE! Do something, ANYTHING!
- It's anyone's guess what the FUCK was going on with the third Pittsburgh goal. The teams were even at 4-on-4, but the Hawks had other ideas. Toews, Tank, Kaner, and Leddy completely ignored the stunningly ugly Tyler Kennedy, who skated right up the gut and took a pass from behind the net from the always dangerous Ben Lovejoy, and put it in the gaping net. 3-0 Pens. While I did not make this picture, it couldn't be more true:
Credit to PuckPassion
- Nothing really of note at the dot, other than Jordan Staal donkey punching the Hawks all night to the tune of 70%.
- Pierre McGuire is a Professor of the Obvious, and he points out some of the dumbest things. That's clearly one of the biggest reasons that EVERYONE hates him. Can we nominate him for the Habs job so he can babble his worthless bullshit to the French, IN FRENCH? Please?
- Booing Hoss every time he touches the puck, Pittsburgh? Who are you, San Jose? Toothless Morons.
- It's true. There is a slower person that Big Slow. Aaron Asham lost a footrace for a break-a-way to Scott, who he had half a step on. Asham, you Sir, should be EMBARRASSED! When I saw the puck head back, and #32 was the only one back, I screamed "NO!!!!", because it was clear this was trouble. All I could do is laugh, when Scott recovered and knocked the puck away.
- Efforts like this are increasingly frustrating. As terrible as they played in the first two period, they played that GOOD in the third. This begs to question just why they come out like hungover sailors and it took them 2 period, and probably a Quenneville shoe in their asses, to get it going.
- I've been angry at games this year, but I was FURIOUS at the Hawks during this one. The Pens were skating up and down the ice like the '08 Red Wings, and the Hawks were suppose to be the best team in the league. Not only this, but the Pens were making a mockery of the Hawks by plastering them all over the rink with no answer.